


A Love That Transcends Through Time

by Rainbend



Category: The Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation, 陈情令 | The Untamed (TV), 魔道祖师 - 墨香铜臭 | Módào Zǔshī - Mòxiāng Tóngxiù, 魔道祖师 | Módào Zǔshī (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Fluff and Humor, Friends to Lovers, Idiots in Love, M/M, Mutual Pining, Past Lives, Reincarnation, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-30
Updated: 2019-08-31
Packaged: 2020-09-28 14:07:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 12,481
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20427233
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rainbend/pseuds/Rainbend
Summary: "In the next lifetime and many more till the world ceases to exist, I will always find you and fall in love with you all over again because nothing in this world, not even time, can separate both you and me. This is a promise to you Lan Zhan."In which both Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji found each other and proceed to fall in love with one another all over again in modern times because their love for each other transcends through time.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Before we start, here are a few things to note for this fanfic:
> 
> 1\. Some of the characters will remember their past lives while others don't. Here, both WWX and LWJ remembers their past lives, but they don't know that both parties are aware of their past lives. 
> 
> 2\. In the case of those who do remember, their past lives can come in the form of memories or dreams depending on the person. In other words, they can fully remember everything that happened or it could be a sense of deva ju to them. 
> 
> 3\. Courtesy names still exist in modern China, although it is more commonly used by people who come from prestigious backgrounds like the Lan family while it's up to the common folks if they want to have one or not which in this case, people like JC and WWX choose to have. 
> 
> 4\. WWX will refer to JYL as Jiejie instead of Shijie because it's less formal while JC will refer to her as A-Jie as it is more intimate, at least based on my take on this. 
> 
> That's all and I hope you enjoy the story! :)

_“I will save you,” Lan Wangji spoke through gritted teeth. “I won’t let you go so easily this time around.”_

_ His once pristine white GusuLan robes were stained with Wei Wuxian’s blood that continued to flow profusely from his open wound as the man, hair as black as the night sky, tried to stop the bleeding while transferring his spirit energy into his body in hopes of making the healing process go faster.  _

_ However, Wei Wuxian knew it was hopeless at this point. Instead of wasting his energy on him, Lan Wangji should just accept the fact that it was of no use like how Wei Wuxian had already done so the moment he felt the searing pain consuming his body like wildfire when the fierce corpse thrust his fist into his stomach.  _

_ “Lan Zhan, it’s no use. At this rate, you’re going to weaken yourself. Please stop.” Wei Wuxian spoke, only to cough up blood and oh god, it hurt even to breathe.  _

_ “Stop talking,” Lan Wangji reprimanded with no heat, choosing to ignore Wei Wuxian’s words.  _

_ Beads of sweat began to form on his forehead as the Second Jade of Lan continued to feverishly pour his spirit energy into Wei Wuxian despite the fatigue that he could feel starting to settle within his bones.  _

_ He couldn’t give up now, not when he was so close. Although, in the deep recesses of his mind, something was telling him that no matter how much he gave, it was fruitless.  _

_ Yet, Lan Wangji refused to believe he wouldn’t be able to save Wei Wuxian.  _

_ “Lan Zhan. Look at me.” _

_ Lan Wangji shook his head stubbornly, refusing to give in to his husband knowing that if he did, he would truly believe in his worst fear.  _

_ “Lan Zhan, please look at me.” Wei Wuxian tried again.  _

_ Lan Wangji continued to ignore him and instead focused on what he was doing.  _

_ Well, if that wasn’t going to work, Wei Wuxian had no choice but to do what he usually does to get the stoic man’s attention.  _

_ “Come on Lan Zhan, the last thing I wanna see before I die is your face.” The Yiling Patriarch whined as he tried his best to hold in the blood that threatened to spill from his mouth.  _

_ “Wei Ying!” Lan Wangji exclaimed in horror, his head snapping up as the corners of his mouth turned down into a frown. “Don’t joke!” _

_ Wei Wuxian couldn’t help the smirk as he answered, “Ah, I can now finally die in peace. Lan-Er gege’s handsome face is definitely the best.” _

_ The frown on Lan Wangji’s face became deeper upon hearing those words, upset with the fact that even at death’s door, Wei Wuxian could still find it in himself to tease the Second Jade of Lan.  _

_ Seeing the glare directed at him, Wei Wuxian let out a wince. “Okay, okay, I definitely deserve that but at least I got you to look at me.” _

_ Lan Wangji only continued to glare coldly at him, yet his attempt at saving Wei Wuxian never ceased to a stop to which his lover let out a tired sigh.  _

_ “Lan Zhan,” His voice was quiet as though he had already given up on fighting, unlike Lan Wangji. “Whatever you’re doing now isn’t going to make any difference. So, please stop and save your spiritual energy for yourself.” _

_ The realization must have finally gotten to the male because he finally stopped what he was doing and instead turned his attention onto his husband who even in the throes of death still shone as bright as the sun on a beautiful summer day, his smile still as fresh as the snow on a winter day in the Cloud Recesses.  _

_ To Lan Wangji, Wei Wuxian was his light and the thought of being plunged into the darkness again when he first lost him 13 years ago scared him to the point that he couldn’t help the whimper that escaped his throat.  _

_ “Wei Ying, please don’t leave me,” Lan Wangji pleaded, his usual calm voice now held desperation and borderline hysteria. “I can’t go through this again. I won’t survive this time around.” _

_ Wei Wuxian’s heart ached as though someone had stabbed him in his chest with a sword upon seeing the agony swirling in those beautiful golden eyes of his lover.  _

_ Despite the intense pain he felt in his lower abdomen where innards had been ripped out of him, it was nothing compared to the emotional pain he felt at the sight of his husband, who was usually so full of regal and grace, looking so broken and afraid.  _

_ Lifting a trembling hand, Wei Wuxian cupped his lover’s face, his thumb gently stroking his cheek as he tried his best to speak although his voice was barely above a whisper.  _

_ “Shh, my love, everything is going to be alright. I know it’ll be because you're strong and capable of doing so.” _

_ “Wei Ying…” Lan Wangji choked on his husband’s name as his hand reached up to cradle the smaller hand on his face, desperately clinging onto the warmth it provided because it meant that his Wei Ying was alive,  _

_ Although he knew that it wouldn’t be so for much longer.  _

_ Despite the grave situation at hand, both of them relapsed into a comfortable silent like any other normal day. Lan Wangji’s eyes fluttered shut as he forced himself to imagine this was just another day in the Jingshi where he would be marking his students’ work while his husband took a nap with his head resting on his lap instead of him dying.  _

_ “Lan Zhan.”  _

_ The Second Jade of Lan opened his eyes again when he heard his name coming from Wei Wuxian. Lan Wangji had always liked the way how his name sounded on Wei Wuxian’s lips.  _

_ “Mn, I’m here,” He hummed.  _

_ The smile that made Wei Wuxian’s grey orbs sparkled like the stars in the night sky he got made his heart raced and Lan Wangji thought he rather has this over brows furrowing in worry for him.  _

_ So, for now, he pushed the pain and urge to scream till his voice went hoarse to the back of his mind as he indulged in the last, few precious moments he had with his love.  _

_ “Lan Zhan,” Wei Wuxian called out Lan Wangji’s name again to which he received the same reply as before.  _

_ “I’m here, Wei Ying.” _

_ Hearing the adoration and love that the man had for him in his name made Wei Wuxian suddenly realized that he didn’t want to die so soon. Instead, he wanted to spend an entire lifetime with him but as usual, fate was cruel to both of them.  _

_ Tears gathered in the corners of his eyes as he held back a sob, his other hand that wasn’t being held against his lover’s cheek scrambled to find Lan Wangji’s other free hand with despair.  _

_ “Lan Zhan! I’m sorry, I’m so sorry!” Wei Wuxian choked on tears that were now falling free as he apologized profusely. _

_ Lan Wangji seek out Wei Wuxian’s hand and intertwined their fingers together before bringing it up to his lips and kissing every knuckle, soothing him. Now it was his turn to provide comfort for Wei Wuxian.  _

_ “Shh, it is alright Wei Ying. I’m here,” Lan Wangji crooned. “It is not your fault. I don’t blame you.” _

_ Wei Wuxian’s cries filled the air while his husband whispered words of reassurance until his sobs were reduced to sniffles.  _

_ “L-Lan Zhan,” Wei Wuxian called out in a broken voice. “I’m so sorry that I’m leaving you again.” _

_ Lan Wangji shook his head gently as he moved his other hand towards Wei Wuxian’s head, running his fingers through his unruly, black hair. “It is not Wei Ying’s fault.” _

_ Wei Wuxian let out a shaky breath as glossy, grey orbs stared at Lan Wangji’s face with so much love. “Lan Zhan, I love you so, so much. You know that right?” _

_ “Mn,” Lan Wangji hummed in agreement. “I love you too, Wei Ying.” _

_ Wei Wuxian nodded his head fervently, causing his vision to swim. He quickly blinked away the black spots and took every effort he had left to refocus on Lan Wangji again, refusing to let him out of his sight.  _

_ With every breath he took, it hurt but Wei Wuxian was determined to get the next few words out before his lungs gave up on him completely.  _

_ He could already feel his consciousness beginning to ebb away with the pain as with every passing second which told him he didn’t have much time left. With that, Wei Wuxian decided to make a vow before heaven and earth.  _

_ “Lan Zhan, listen to me.” Wei Wuxian spoke with a sense of urgency. “I don’t know how much longer time I have left.” _

_ Noticing the seriousness in his voice, Lan Wangji gave his undevoted attention to him. “Speak Wei Ying. I’m listening.” _

_ So, taking in a deep breath, Wei Wuxian gave the brightest smile he ever had to offer to Lan Wangji, saying. “In the next lifetime and many more, till the world ceases to exist, I will always find you and fall in love with you all over again because nothing in this world, not even time, can separate both you and me. This is a promise to you, Lan Zhan.” _

_ His lover was stunned into silence upon hearing those words, the sincerity and heaviness of it left him momentarily breathless before he, too, returned the vow with words of his own. “Mn, I will find Wei Ying too and love him with all my heart till the end of time. This is my promise to you.” _

_ “Good, good,” Wei Wuxian let out a breathless chuckle when all of a sudden, he was very, very tired and felt like he could sleep for an eternity. Forcing himself to stay awake, he blinked sluggishly at Lan Wangji. “Lan Zhan, I feel very sleepy.” _

_ A look of panic flashed across the male’s face, but it disappeared as fast as it appeared, so Wei Wuxian chalked it up to his imagination.  _

_ “Lan Zhan?” He called out worryingly when Lan Wangji didn’t immediately reply him.  _

_ “Everything is going to be alright.” Lan Zhan hummed, his low baritone voice sounding like a lullaby to Wei Wuxian. “Rest, Wei Ying. I will still be here when you are awake.” _

_ “Hmm, okay. I believe you, Lan Zhan,” Wei Wuxian mumbled sleepily. Before he succumbed to the darkness, he had one last request. “Lan Zhan, will you please sing our song for me?” _

_ “Mn,” Lan Wangji replied and then he began to sing. _

_ Wei Wuxian’s eyelids finally fluttered shut as he struggled to stay awake a bit longer just to hear his lover’s soothing voice, but eventually, the darkness won over and he fell into a deep, eternal sleep.  _

* * *

** Modern Time, 2019 **

“Wei Wuxian! Wake up already or else you’re gonna be late for school again!” 

Wei Wuxian let out a tired groan as he woke up to his brother’s shouting and incessant, loud knocking against his bedroom door. However, instead of getting out bed as Jiang Cheng commanded him to, he simply pulled his pillow over his head and covered his ears with it to block out the loud noises. 

“Wei Wuxian! If you’re not waking up in the next few seconds, I’ll personally come in and drag you out of bed!”

Another groan escaped his lips when he could still hear Jiang Cheng through his pillow. Honestly, it was starting to get on his nerves. He really loved his younger brother with all his heart but sometimes, he wished he could throw the fellow out of his window!

“Okay, that’s it! I’m coming in  _ now _ !”

Just then, his door was being kicked open by none other than Jiang Cheng and the sudden loud banging noise of the door hitting the wall jolted Wei Wuxian out of his bed. 

“What the hell, Jiang Cheng! You gave me a scare!” The now very wide-awake Wei Wuxian hissed angrily with both his hands clutching his chest tightly where his heart nearly jumped out. 

There was a smug look on the younger male’s face upon seeing the startling state his older brother was in. Ignoring the glare thrown his way, Jiang Cheng rolled his eyes as he replied, “Not give me that look. I did warn you, but you refused to listen to me. So if it’s anyone’s fault, it’ll be yours.”

With that, he turned on his heels and stalked out of Wei Wuxian’s bedroom but not before telling him that breakfast was ready. “A-Jie has already cooked your share of pancakes…”

He trailed off before a mischievous smirk crept up his face which caused Wei Wuxian to narrow his eyes in suspicion as he growled out his name in warning. “Jiang Cheng…just what are you planning to do?”

The said male waited for a second and two before running down the stairs leading to the dining room where Wei Wuxian’s very vulnerable pancakes sat. As he fled, his shouts echoed throughout the house. 

“If you don’t hurry your ass up, I’m gonna eat all your pancakes!”

It took Wei Wuxian a few seconds to process what his brother had just yelled before it registered in his mind. Grey orbs widened in horror as he realized if he really didn’t hurry, he wouldn’t have any breakfast left to eat. 

“Jiang WanYin!” Wei Wuxian shouted his brother’s courtesy name as he ran out of his room and gave chase. 

By the time Wei Wuxian reached the dining room, he had Jiang Cheng in a headlock, his arm wound tightly around his neck while his other hand reached up to ruffle his hair, not caring if he messed them up or not. 

Well, that asshole deserved it for threatening to eat his precious pancakes. 

The black-haired male didn’t stop until their older sister, Jiang Yanli, had stepped out of the kitchen to investigate what was happening upon hearing both her younger brothers shouting one another. 

“Alright, you two, stop fighting already.” Jiang Yanli gently admonished both of them, although she was trying really hard to fight against the smile that was threatening to break out on her face. 

After all, she could never really get angry at her siblings unless they managed to piss her which only happened once before when they received the scolding of a lifetime for punching her current boyfriend, Jin Zixuan in the face for making her cry. 

Despite it was just them getting back at him for hurting her, Jiang Yanli still gave them a lecture because she wasn’t for resorting to violence as a solution. Although, she did give both of them a huge hug to thank them afterwards. 

“But Jiejie, Jiang Cheng threatens to eat my pancakes!” Wei Wuxian whinnied, hoping to get his sister to pity him. “My breakfast is at stake here! So I had to stop Jiang Cheng before he eats everything!”

“As if I’m really gonna eat your stupid pancakes!” Jiang Cheng growled, his brows furrowing like they always do whenever he was angry. “It’s just to your stupid ass out of bed! In fact, you should be giving me your pancakes as thank you for waking you up in time, so you won’t be late for school again!”

“Jiejie! Jiang Cheng is bullying me!” Wei Wuxian cried as he scrambled to hide behind his sister, having to bend down slightly due to the height difference.

“Why, you!” Jiang Cheng shouted before turning his attention to Jiang Yanli. “A-Jie! You shouldn’t be defending him!”

As the two continued to bicker back and forth like the five-year-old kids they were, Jiang Yanli’s eyes softened with the love she had for both of them as she let out a giggle. 

“Alright, you two, that’s enough.” She spoke up before another round of shouting could ensue. “A-Xian, you don’t have to worry about your pancakes being eaten by A-Cheng because I prepared his share too. Besides, if it’s not enough, I can always make more.”

Wei Wuxian, who didn’t want to trouble his sister, came out from his hiding spot and gave her a quick side-hug before making his way towards the dining table where three plates of steaming pancakes sat waiting to be consumed. 

“It’s alright, Jiejie! Whatever you make is enough for me!” He cheerfully exclaimed as he took his seat and began to dig into his breakfast. “Wow! These are really delicious! As usual, Jiejie’s cooking is the best!”

Jiang Cheng made his way towards the table and took a seat as well but not before whacking his brother on the back of his head, hissing at him about his table manners. “Don’t talk with your mouth full! It’s disgusting!”

Wei Wuxian nearly chocked on his pancake no thanks to Jiang Cheng. Swallowing his food, he let out a few coughs as he glared at the said man. “What the hell! I nearly died because of you!”

His brother simply rolled his eyes and ignored him in favour of his pancakes. At least, he still had someone who cared for him in the form of Jiang Yanli who handed him a cup of water, patting his back with a worried look on her petite face. 

When he was able to breathe again without the fear of choking to death, Wei Wuxian beamed at his sister and thanked her, not forgetting to throw in an insult at Jiang Cheng as usual. 

“Thanks, Jiejie! You’re the best person ever unlike someone!”

“Be thankful that I didn’t hit you as hard as I would’ve like!” Jiang Cheng snapped back. 

Being the mature person that Wei Wuxian was, he stuck his tongue out at Jiang Cheng which only further agitate him more. 

“Wei Wuxian! I’m going to break your legs!”

Before Jiang Cheng could even carry out his threat, Wei Wuxian was already out of the dining room and running up the stairs towards his room with his last slice of pancake hanging out of his mouth.

A wide smile adorned his face as he got ready to school with the familiar cursing of his brother thrown at him and the twinkling sound of his sister’s laughter in the background. 

* * *

Wei Wuxian shook out his hair as he removed his helmet from his head, taking in a deep breath of fresh air. Swinging his schoolbag to the side with one of the straps still on his shoulders, he unzipped and gently placed his helmet inside it. 

He zipped up his bag and looped his arm through the other strap, the schoolbag a familiar weight on his back as he checked to make sure his motorbike was secured before heading towards the campus ground where his brother was waiting for him, having arrived in his own car. 

To be honest, Wei Wuxian could never understand why his brother refused to go to school with him on his bike which would have saved lots of money on fuel. Then again, he understood not everyone would love the motorbike unlike him because to them, it was a death trap on two wheels. 

(Those were the words Jiang Cheng used to describe his bike when Wei Wuxian asked why he wouldn’t ride with him to school.) 

However, Wei Wuxian saw it as different from everyone else. To him, he loved the thrill and possible risks of riding the bike with the wind in his face. 

“What took you so long?!”

Wei Wuxian snapped out of it when he heard the scoff in his brother’s voice. Glancing up from where his gaze was fixed on the ground as he mulled in his thoughts, he realized he had already reached the entrance of the main campus building where stood an annoyed Jiang Cheng with his arms crossed over his chest as he waited for his stupid brother’s arrival. 

Chuckles escaped his lips when he noticed the younger male tapping his foot against the ground to convey his irritation. He met his brother’s gaze as his usual teasing smile appeared on his face, slinging an arm around his neck. “Aww, Jiang Cheng! Were you worried that I wouldn’t make it to school? How sweet of you, dearest brother of mine!”

“F*ck off!” Jiang Cheng scowled as he pushed Wei Wuxian’s arm off him before proceeding to storm into the building but not before telling (more like commanding) Wei Wuxian to fix his hair. “Also, fix your ponytail! You look like a goddamn mess!”

Grey eyes sparkled in the sunlight as the smile on his face grew even widened, threatening to split his cheeks. Wei Wuxian closed the distance between him and his brother with large strides before falling in step with him. 

“So, Jiang Cheng, what’s the first class of the day?” Wei Wuxian asked as he reached up to remove the red hair tie that held his unruly locks in his usual high ponytail, running his fingers through his hair a few times to smooth out his hair before putting them back in its usual style. 

Jiang Cheng whipped his head around and stared at the idiot that he called his brother with narrowed eyes, hissing through gritted teeth. “How many times have I told you to memorise your class schedule by now?! I’m not your f*cking planner so stop asking me each time!”

With that, he left Wei Wuxian in the dust as he, once again, stormed off in the direction of his class – having enough of his older brother. Sometimes Jiang Cheng couldn’t help but wondered who really was the older one amongst the both of them. 

Meanwhile, Wei Wuxian’s mouth had morphed into a pout as he stared at the treating back of Jiang Cheng. Although he was back to usual cheerful self when he saw someone familiar from the corners of his eyes. 

Waving his hand like a madman in the air, Wei Wuxian shouted the person’s name to get their attention and not giving single care how loud he was being. 

“Lan Zhan!”

A pair of honeyed-golden eyes met his gaze as Lan Wangji lifted his head from the book he was reading to see who had called his name. Wei Wuxian practically ran down the hallway and skidded to a halt in front of the man clad in all white. 

He was basically beaming with happiness at the sight of his stoic friend who frowned at him, greeting him with one of the many four thousand rules of Gusu University. “No running in the hallway, Wei Ying.”

Wei Wuxian’s shoulders deflated like a balloon as he let out a huge groan. “Argh, Lan Zhan. Seriously? Can’t you greet me a ‘hello’ like any other normal person does?”

Said male simply fixed Wei Wuxian a blank look as he replied, “You know the rules, Wei Ying.”

“Yes, yes. The infamous rules of Gusu University that happened to be also the love of your uncle.” Wei Wuxian muttered half-heartedly, waving his hand as though it was just any other trivial matters. 

Which to him was, but the same couldn’t be said for Lan Wangji who followed those rules religiously. 

“Do not insult Uncle,” Even though his face remained black as usual, Wei Wuxian could see that Lan Wangji was annoyed by what he said. 

(Well, at least Wei Wuxian hoped Lan Wangji was annoyed by his words. He might have gotten better at reading Lan Wangji, but it wasn’t 100% sure most of the time. Only one person could really know what the stoic man was feeling and that was his older brother, Lan Xichen.)

“I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to insult your uncle!” Wei Wuxian clapped his hands together and bowed his head slightly in apologies. “Please don’t hate me, Lan Zhan!”

If Wei Wuxian was looking at Lan Wangji like he usually does, he would have seen the small frown on the otherwise expressionless face as he answered, “Never hate Wei Ying.”

Upon hearing that, Wei Wuxian bounced back to his usual self as his face lighted up with a delighted smile. “I don’t hate you either. In fact, I like you, Lan Zhan!”

Next to him, Lan Wangji froze and at this moment, he looked like a jade statue that people always described him as. Wei Wuxian’s smile quickly dropped into a frown as he furrowed his brows worrying, wondering what could have caused his friend to become so still out of the blue. 

“Lan Zhan? Are you okay?” He asked and waved a hand in front of the man’s face, hoping to get a reaction out of him. “Hello? Is anyone home?” 

Lan Wangji snapped out of his frozen state and came back to the present, much to the relief of Wei Wuxian. Suddenly, he noticed the tips of Lan Wangji’s ears had turned a deep shade of red which he immediately knew that the man was embarrassed by what he said. 

Of course, being the typical person that Wei Wuxian was, he chose to tease Lan Wangji about it. “Lan Zhan! You’re so cute when you blushed! You should do it more often!”

The tips of his ears only became a deeper shade of red as Lan Wangji muttered, “Ridiculous” before turning away from Wei Wuxian and proceeding to brisk walk towards his classroom because he was Lan Wangji and he doesn’t the break the rule of no running in the hallways. 

Wei Wuxian simply laughed and unlike Lan Wangji, he broke the rule once more as he ran to catch up with him. “I’m just kidding, Lan Zhan. You don’t have to take my words so seriously.” 

“…always like that…”

“Hmm? Did you say something, Lan Zhan?” Wei Wuxian glanced confusingly at the taller man beside him who, for some odd reasons, was staring at his shoes. “I didn’t hear from you. Do you mind repeating what you just said again?”

“It’s nothing.” Lan Wangji replied, back to his usual calm and composed self again as though what transpired a few seconds ago didn’t even happen at all. 

Disappointment filled Wei Wuxian that the effect of his teasing didn’t last at all like it always does whenever he teased the man. Nonetheless, he wasn’t put down by it because there would always be more opportunities for him to tease Lan Wangji as much as he wanted to. 

(Although Wei Wuxian wouldn’t admit it out loud the reason why he always teases Lan Wangji was because he loved seeing his friend’s reactions and emotions usually hidden deep beneath him. Plus, the way how he blushed was just an added bonus and not because Wei Wuxian found him adorable whenever he blushed.)

The both of them fell into their usual habits of Wei Wuxian doing most of the talking while Lan Wangji simply kept quiet and listened with the occasional “mn” replying to Wei Wuxian. 

When the lecture room was in sight, Wei Wuxian suddenly grabbed Lan Wangji by the arm to stop him. He could feel the male became slightly rigid at the physical touch and immediately pulled his hand away as though he had been burnt. 

“Ah! I’m sorry about that! I forgot how much you dislike other people touching you.” Wei Wuxian sheepishly apologized, his hand going up to rub his neck whenever he felt embarrassed. 

Lan Wangji relaxed, and Wei Wuxian wasn’t sure if it was just his imagination or not, but it seemed like the black-haired man was disappointed that he was no longer touching him. 

“It is okay.” Lan Wangji said, his eyes refusing to meet Wei Wuxian. “Wei Ying is different.”

Wei Wuxian was stunned into silence upon hearing those words. Hope began to bloom in his heart like the lotuses in the pond back at the Jiang house, however, it was squashed by what Lan Wangji said next. 

“Wei Ying is different. Not like everyone else.” It seemed as though Lan Wangji was struggling to say what was on his mind, after all, he was probably not use to speaking more than three words a sentence. “Wei Ying is a friend.”

At that, Lan Wangji stared at with what suspiciously looked like expectant hope in those mesmerising golden orbs of his. However, to protect himself from a broken heart, Wei Wuxian refused to believe what he saw, thinking to himself he probably read too much into it. 

Sure enough, when he looked back at Lan Wangji again, his eyes were back to their usual cold and emotionless stare. Wei Wuxian let out a sigh, knowing it was too good to be true. 

Lan Wangji must have picked up on the sudden change in his mood which was so unlike him because the next thing Wei Wuxian knew, his friend had invaded his personal space – golden peering into grey. 

“Wei Ying, are you okay?” Lan Wangji asked, his voice slightly hesitant with a hint of concern directed at him. “You seemed upset.”

His voice became quieter at the last few words as though he was unsure of himself which was a rare sight as Lan Wangji was always very confident in whatever he said or did. 

Unfortunately, Lan Wangji didn’t receive an immediate reply from Wei Wuxian because said person’s brain had short-circuited, causing all of his senses to fly out of the window. 

_ Too close! Lan Zhan’s too close! _

Wei Wuxian was screaming internally in his mind as every muscle in his body locked up, rendering him motionless and all he could do was continue staring at those golden orbs that held more depths than most people believed. 

Lan Wangji was the epitome of the famous saying “your eyes are the windows to your soul”. 

“Wei Ying?” The stoic man called out his name again, his brows furrowing slightly. 

(Wei Wuxian constantly complained that Lan Wangji should be more open and expressive even though the stoic man became more expressive whenever he is around him. If not only Wei Wuxian would pay more attention.) 

Unexpectedly, Wei Wuxian felt the briefest of human warmth brushing against his face like a flutter of butterfly wings. His eyes trailed those callused fingers from years of playing the  _ guqin _ , up the muscular arm hidden beneath the white cardigan he was wearing today to his face where hair wisps framed his defined cheekbones and quickly moving past those thick, kissable lips before settling on those beautiful eyes. 

At that moment, the world around them faded and all background noises ceased minus for the loud thumping of Wei Wuxian’s heart ringing in his ears. He was unsure who leaned in first, but he didn’t care as both his and Lan Wangji’s breaths mingled. 

His tongue flicked out to wet his dry lips with his gaze zeroing in on those plump and cherry red lips that belonged to Lan Wangji. When his friend’s own tongue mimicked his earlier action, Wei Wuxian had to remind himself to breathe.

_ This is it! This is finally it! I’m finally getting what I’ve been dreaming these past few years.  _

Wei Wuxian’s mind was in a cluttered mess which only became worst when he made the mistake of his eyes flickering up to meet Lan Wangji’s own pair because he saw something akin to desire in them. It was only just a few seconds of their gaze meeting, but it was everything that Wei Wuxian had ever wished for. That was right, for the longest time, he could remember, Wei Wuxian had been in love with Lan Wangji – the second nephew of Lan Qiren, the head of Gusu University. 

“Wangji?”

Immediately, both Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji sprang apart at the familiar voice of Lan Xichen, the older brother of Lan Wangji. 

“P-Professor XiChen! H-How nice to see you!” Wei Wuxian squeaked, his pitch climbing higher with each word. 

Wei Wuxian couldn’t believe that both he and Lan Wangji had been caught for almost kissing right in front of the classroom! His heartbeat quickened once more, not of thrill at the thought of sharing a kiss with his crush but out of mortification (and slight disappointment) at being caught with said thought. 

At this point in time, he wished a hole would open up in the ground and swallowed him whole so he could die in peace. Being in the presence of Lan Xichen was the last thing on his mind currently after what had just happened. 

Amusement was clear as day on the older Lan’s face as he replied to Wei Wuxian’s greeting. “Hello, Mr Wei. It’s nice to see you too. How have you been?”

“I’ve been doing very well,” Wei Wuxian let out a nervous chuckle, his eyes looking everywhere but at Lan Xichen. “H-How about you, Professor?”

His brown eyes were twinkling with a knowing look as Lan Xichen answered with a gentle smile, ever the polite man he was brought to become. “I’ve been doing very well too. I see you have accompanied my brother to class today.”

(The knowing look directed at Wei Wuxian didn’t escape him, but unfortunately, he couldn’t quite figure out what it meant so he simply brushed it aside for now.)

“Of course! That’s what friends do, right?” Wei Wuxian hastily responded, glad for the opportunity to distract the older male from the event that transpired earlier on. 

“It certainly is. I am happy to hear my brother has such a wonderful friend who cares about him like you.” Lan Xichen smiled pleasantly at Wei Wuxian who rubbed his neck in embarrassment, unused to being complimented by others before directing his gaze towards his younger brother who had been quiet during the entire exchange. “Don’t you think so too, Wangji?”

Wei Wuxian was practically thrumming with anticipation as he tried his best to appear calm although he was probably doing a bad job of doing so judging based on the amused look Lan Xichen was sending his way. 

He simply chose to ignore it and instead focused all his attention on Lan Wangji who looked like he was shrinking into himself, probably wishing he was anywhere but here right now. 

A beat or two of silence passed before the younger Lan spoke up, his voice so soft that Wei Wuxian had to strain his ears to be able to hear me clearly. 

“Wei…Wei Ying is a good friend.”

Wei Wuxian almost couldn’t believe his eyes when the corners of Lan Wangji’s lips curved slightly upwards into what looked like a shy smile, the tips of his ears turning a lovely shade of light pink.

“Lan Zhan! Lan Zhan!” Wei Wuxian called out excitedly, his mouth stretched into a bright grin at such a rare sight coming from the usually expressionless man. “You smiled! I can’t believe you actually smiled!”

** _ Suddenly, from above him came a light laugh. It was so extremely light that one would doubt they heard wrong.  _ **

** _ But Wei Wuxian immediately looked up. He very clearly saw beside Lan Wangji’s lips the transient glimpse of a soft smile that resembled sunlight reflected over snow.  _ **

Wei Wuxian froze as an image of a man with beautiful, long hair as black as the night sky dressed in white robes as white as freshly fallen snow smiling down at him. 

For a moment, the vision of that man overlapped with Lan Wangji as a wave of strange emotions that felt like it belonged to him yet not at the same time crashed onto him.

With the sudden onslaught of emotions, Wei Wuxian felt like he had been hit by a freight train. Letting out a gasp, he stumbled backwards. His mind was in a disorientated mess as he tried to regain his bearings, but it was fruitless as a headache formed in his head.

He squeezed his eyes shut tightly as though it would chase the splitting headache away, yet it still remained like an unwanted guest in his head. It only got worst from there as a pained groan left his lips. 

“…Wei Ying…Wei Ying…”

Through the loud ringing sound in his head, Wei Wuxian could hear someone calling his name relentlessly. He tried to focus on that person’s voice to ground himself, but it felt like he was drowning and the harder he tried, the more he was sinking deeper and further away from reality. 

“Wei Ying…”

The mysterious person called his name again and Wei Wuxian could hear the worried undertone in their voice. Whoever they were, they must care a lot for him to sound this concern about him. 

Light guilt washed over him at the thought of making this person so worried over him. Wei Wuxian had always disliked making people felt this way because he didn’t want to be a burden towards them. 

So, with that thought in mind, Wei Wuxian forced himself to snap out of it. Opening his eyes took a lot of effort as they felt like heavyweights behind closed lids. Nonetheless, he managed to do so in the end and the first thing he saw when his vision returned was the colour of honey-gold. 

There was only one person on this earth with such beautiful eye colours. 

“L-Lan Zhan?” Wei Wuxian’s moaned as he shifted slightly to have a better look. 

Worst mistake ever because it caused the headache to return tenfold and black spots danced in his vision. His hand flew up to his head as fingers dug into his scalp, a pained groan leaving his lips. 

“Wei Ying, are you alright?” Lan Wangji asked, his voice betraying his inner worry for Wei Wuxian. 

Wei Wuxian didn’t reply straight away as he blinked away the black spots, taking his time to regain his balance once more. When he felt his head wasn’t going to split in half, the headache repressed for now, Wei Wuxian replied in a shaky voice. 

“I-I’m okay for now, I think. Although, I don’t know what just happened.” Anxiety bubbled up within Wei Wuxian, wondering what could cause such a strong reaction. “A-Am I gonna be alright, Lan Zhan?”

He hated how he sounded like a small, scared child but he couldn’t help the need for assurance and comfort from Lan Wangji rising up within him. Lan Wangji must have sensed that need because the next thing Wei Wuxian felt was gentle fingers stroking his hair. 

A pleased sigh escaped him as he sank into the soothing feeling. His eyelids fluttered shut as the action provided a temporary relief against the headache. “Don’t stop Lan Zhan.”

“Mn,” Lan Wangji hummed, his fingers continuing their ministrations. 

Wei Wuxian would have fallen asleep right there and then if it wasn’t for Lan Xichen who reminded both him and Lan Wangji that they were still outside of the lecture room where a crowd of curious bystanders had already gathered to see what the commotion was all about. 

“Everyone, return to your seats. There is nothing to see here. I will be you with shortly.” The older Lan gently shooed his students away before turning his attention back to his younger brother who was currently kneeling on the ground with Wei Wuxian in his laps after catching him when he lost his footings earlier on. 

(Meanwhile, said person was too busy enjoying having those strong arms embracing him to pay attention to the exchange between the Lan brothers.)

“Wangji, why don’t you bring Mr Wei to the sickbay where he can rest and recover?” Lan Xichen suggested, brown eyes roaming over Wei Wuxian to check for any physical injuries just in case. “I will write a sick pass for both of you. So, do not worry about your attendance being affected.”

“Mn,” Lan Wangji hummed in agreement. 

“L-Lan Zhan?” Wei Wuxian called out in confusion when he felt movement beneath him. “W-What’s going on?”

Lan Wangji didn’t answer him and the next thing he knew, he was being carried down the hallway – Lan Wangji tightening his arms around him as though he was a precious cargo. 

“Lan Zhan?” Wei Wuxian called out again, having missed the conversation being Lan Wangji and his brother to understand what was going on. 

“I’m here, Wei Ying.” His friend replied as though reassuring Wei Wuxian that he was still here with him. 

An immediate sense of relief washed over Wei Wuxian, chasing away the fears and anxieties that he didn’t even realize he had until Lan Wangji said those words – his voice a comforting presence to him. 

“Oh, okay then.” Wei Wuxian said before a thought crossed his mind. “Everything’s going to be okay, right?”

Honey-golden orbs peered down at him and Wei Wuxian found himself drowning in those mesmerising eyes. “Rest now, Wei Ying. I am here.”

Those words alone were enough to comfort Wei Wuxian and his tense body immediately relaxed in Lan Wangji’s arms, the fatigue of what transpired earlier on catching up to him. 

His eyelids drooped as he fought to stay awake but the smell of sandalwood that he associated with Lan Wangji was making him very drowsy. The next thing Wei Wuxian knew, he found him falling asleep in those arms that felt like warmth and security. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm changing the tag "light angst" to "angst" because there's no such thing as light angst when it comes to WangXian. 
> 
> Also, feel free to make fanart or write fanfic for this story. Just make sure you let me know so I can fangirl over it and share your creation with others! ^^

_Wei Wuxian shivered as the cold wrecked his body and he curled even more tightly into himself in hope of keep warming despite there being a campfire burning brightly just a few centimetres away from him, its flames casting dancing shadows against the cavern walls._

_And that was what confused Wei Wuxian. Why did he feel like someone had dunked him into the icy waters of Cloud Recesses’ cold springs?_

‘It is due to the fever’. _Somewhere in the back of his mind, a voice whispered. _

_His body trembled as another cold shiver ran down his spine. Wei Wuxian curled into a smaller ball, wrapping his arms tightly around himself. _

‘Yea, it must be the fever. That’s why I’m so cold.’ _The thought formed in his mind, wondering for a moment just who exactly was he talking to, yet he was too tired to figure it out. _

_Suddenly, Wei Wuxian felt something warm touching his forehead and he immediately nuzzled into the contact. A small contented sigh escaped his lips and he felt his body relaxing, the tight ball that he had curled into loosening slightly. _

_“Wei Ying?” _

_A voice as gentle and light as a spring breeze calling his name had Wei Wuxian stirring as grey orbs peeked open to see who it was. His movements were sluggish as his gaze swept his surroundings before landing on white robes. _

_Wei Wuxian lifted his eyes to see who it was, but to his surprise, the person’s face was a blurred image. He blinked a couple of times to clear his vision, thinking the problem was coming from him._

_However, the more he tried to focus on the person’s face, the harder it was to make out any of their facial features. Soon, he gave up as the fatigue from the cold and fever settled deep within his bones again. _

_“Wei Ying, rest.”_

_Above him, the voice spoke up again, just as ever as gentle as before. Wei Wuxian opened his mouth to protest, to tell the person he didn’t want to succumb into the cold darkness that awaited for him once he closed his eyes. _

_They must have sensed his fear because the next thing he knew, his head was resting on broad shoulders as something warm draped over his shivering figure. It took him a while to realize the person had covered him with their white robes to keep out the cold. _

_A sigh left his lips as fingers ran through his hair, chasing away the tension in his stiff body. _

_Once more, the voice returned and this time it sounded like a lullaby, softly insisting that Wei Wuxian just closed his eyes and sleep for there was nothing to be afraid of with the person here to protect him from any harms that might befall him. _

_“I’m here, Wei Ying. So, sleep.”_

_To Wei Wuxian, those words felt like a promise and for some odd reason, he felt like he could trust this person to keep him safe. Thus he did and his eyes fluttered shut, the darkness claiming him once more. _

_Except this time around, Wei Wuxian felt warm instead of cold._

* * *

The late afternoon sunlight filtering through the window roused Wei Wuxian up as the last of his dream faded away. It was a rather strange dream, not in a bad way and it had felt so real to him.

As though he had been there to experience all that happened in the dream himself.

Just then, pieces of the dream flashed through Wei Wuxian’s mind – a dark and cold cave, white robes wrapped around him like a warm blanket, soothing fingers running through his long, thick hair and a melodious voice whispering words of comfort and assurance.

He was amazed he could remember everything that occurred in the dream, right down to the smallest detail. So, it puzzled him why he couldn’t seem to recall any details about the person in the cave with him.

Wei Wuxian tried recalling, but he came up with nothing other than their robes which reminded him of snow found high in the mountains, pure and untouched by human hands.

Suddenly, out of the blue, a memory appeared in his mind and he felt a sharp pain stabbing his head.

_Wei Wuxian froze as an image of a man with beautiful, long hair as black as the night sky dressed in white robes as white as freshly fallen snow smiling down at him. _

_For a moment, the vision of that man overlapped with Lan Wangji as a wave of strange emotions that felt like it belonged to him yet not at the same time crashed onto him._

“Argh!” Wei Wuxian let out a loud cry and both his hands flew up to clutch tightly at his head, his fingernails digging into his scalp. “Make it stop! Make it stop!”

Desperate pleas fell from his lips as he begged for the ringing pain to stop, but it just kept raging on like an endless storm in his head. Wei Wuxian barely registered the sound of rushed footsteps running up the stairs and towards his room, his door opening with a loud bang, different voices calling his name in concern and a pair of warm hands grasping him gently as they tried to shake him out of it.

The sound of light laughter and a familiar quiet, but worried voice calling his name time and again overlapped one another in his head until he couldn’t tell apart one from the other.

What was wrong with him?! Why did it felt like his head was going to split in half?! Those were the thoughts circling his head non-stop like a broken recorder, leaving no room for anything else.

Wei Wuxian couldn’t take it, whatever this was, anymore. He wanted, no needed, to find relief immediately. He wished for something, anything, to make this pain go away before he loosed his mind.

“Please, make it stop.” He sobbed, begging for someone to help him. “I can’t take it anymore.”

Fortunately for Wei Wuxian, his prayer was answered when he was pulled into a pair of strong arms that wrapped themselves tightly around his body. The smell of sandalwood broke through the fog surrounding his mind and soon, he was brought back to the present.

“You are okay now, Wei Ying. There is nothing to be afraid of, I’m here.” A voice floated into his ears and Wei Wuxian immediately recognised who it belonged to.

After all, he only knew of one person in the entire world who would call him by his birth name.

“L-Lan Zhan? I-Is that you?” Wei Wuxian stuttered, still trembling slightly from the aftermath of the intense pain he felt in his head.

“Mn,” Came the affirmative hum as Lan Wangji pulled Wei Wuxian closer to him so that his head was lying against his broad chest, his right ear resting on the left side of his chest where his heart was located at. “I’m here, Wei Ying.”

Those words, at the moment, was everything that Wei Wuxian needed to hear as he let out a shaky breath that he didn’t even realize he was holding it in.

For the next few minutes, neither of them moved from this position as Lan Wangji continued to embrace Wei Wuxian who was still trying to calm down – his breath inhaling and exhaling with every beat of the other man’s heart.

His eyes fluttered shut as Lan Wangji began to run long, nimble fingers through his long, dark tresses just like the person did in his dream and Wei Wuxian found himself relaxing in his friend’s arms.

Being embraced by Lan Wangji was one of the many daydreams that Wei Wuxian had whenever he thought of them both as a couple. He had always thought the first time would be at either his or Lan Wangji’s place where they would be cuddling on the sofa, pressed up against each other while watching some sappy romance movie.

However, his first time was in his room on his bed with both of them tangled up in his sheets and instead of a cuddle while watching a movie, it was Lan Wangji comforting him after having a breakdown.

He internally sighed at that thought but didn’t dwell on it much and chose to focus on what he had now. So, if Lan Wangji noticed Wei Wuxian nuzzling his face into his chest and his neat shirt crumbling beneath his fingers, he could care less about it.

Wei Wuxian wasn’t a greedy person by nature, and he would usually be grateful for what he already had or was given to him. Yet, now that he had a taste of what it was like to be held by Lan Wangji, he wanted to have more of it.

By the time Wei Wuxian had fully calmed down and was more or less back to normal, the sun was already long gone and replaced by the full moon that bathed Gusu in its silvery glow.

Lan Wangji was the first to pull away as he released his tight hold on Wei Wuxian who silently mourned at the loss, having to swallow down the whine that threatened to escape his lips.

“How are you feeling now, Wei Ying?” His friend asked, his brows furrowing in concern.

Suddenly, a wave of embarrassing shame flooded Wei Wuxian and he could feel the heat rising to his cheeks. Grey orbs widened slightly at the fact, Lan Wangji, his crush had witnessed him having a meltdown.

_Lan Zhan probably thinks I’m a madman! If he has been thinking of getting rid of me all this time, he’s probably gonna do it for real after what just happened! _The horrible thought crossed his mind.

Lan Wangji mustn’t have liked the expression he saw on his face because the next thing Wei Wuxian knew, the man had his forehead pressed up against his own. Instantly he froze up at having been caught off guard by the unexpected action.

Immediately, Wei Wuxian’s mind went into overdrive. _What the actual f*ck?! What is Lan Zhan doing?! This isn’t so like him! Ahh! _

(Although at the same time, Wei Wuxian being Wei Wuxian, couldn’t help fanboying over how handsome his crush was. Have_ his eyes always been this gold? Oh my gosh! His eyelashes are so long and pretty! I’m so jealous!)_

Meanwhile, the man responsible for Wei Wuxian’s internal freak out was oblivious to it all as he continued to rest his forehead against the other’s, a small frown on his handsome face.

With each passing second, Wei Wuxian found it harder to breathe as his heart raced at a hundred miles per hour. At this rate, the poor man was going to die from a heart attack caused by none other than his love.

Not able to take it anymore, Wei Wuxian was the first to pull back this time around. He scooted backwards and when he felt that the distance between him and Lan Wangji was safe, he took in a deep breath and exhaled slowly to calm his racing heart.

“Wei Ying?” Lan Wangji called out his name in slight confusion and concern, golden eyes staring intensely at him.

“I-I’m fine, Lan Zhan!” Wei Wuxian nervously replied, his eyes refusing to look at the other male lest he did something stupid like compliment how beautiful his eyes were. “T-Thanks for caring, but you don’t have to worry anymore!”

“Oh, okay then.”

All thoughts screeched to a halt when Wei Wuxian heard the slight disappointment in Lan Wangji’s tone. Hesitantly, he glanced over at the black-haired man and was greeted by a rare sight.

The taller male’s head was turned slightly away from Wei Wuxian so that he couldn’t make out his facial expression. It was like as though Lan Wangji didn’t want Wei Wuxian to know _how_ he was feeling, yet Wei Wuxian could see right through him.

(Sometimes Wei Wuxian wondered why people described Lan Wangji as a jade statue or ice block, unable to express his inner self when to him, said person was just as human as anyone on this planet.)

Wei Wuxian knew Lan Wangji was feeling disappointed, maybe even a little upset. He could tell, no _see_ it for himself, why his friend’s mood was so down. Most people would know how one was feeling through the way they expressed themselves to others, open and upfront unless there was something they wanted to hide.

However, for Lan Wangji, it was a different story. To identify what he was feeling, one had to observe him very closely because it was through body language then they would know which not everyone could do it because they didn’t take the time to know him as Wei Wuxian did.

(A hint of pride and happiness caused Wei Wuxian’s heart to swell with the fact that besides Lan Wangji’s brother, only he could read him so well.)

And that was how Wei Wuxian knew Lan Wangji was disappointed with a hint of sadness, although he didn’t know the actual cause of it. Nonetheless, it didn’t sit well with him that his friend was feeling this way.

So, he did what he knew best to Lan Wangji up and that was to tease him.

Sidling up to Lan Wangji, Wei Wuxian threw an arm around the other man’s shoulders, a huge grin on his face as he pressed right up against his side and ignored the way how his heart thrilled with anticipation when Lan Wangji froze up next to him.

“Aww, is Lan_-er gege_ worried about me?” Wei Wuxian cooed, his voice a pitch higher than normal. “Man, whoever your future girlfriend is going to be, she’ll be so lucky to have such a caring boyfriend!”

(Wei Wuxian pushed the feeling of heartbreak away at that statement, knowing that his love would never be returned and forever remained as one-sided because why would Lan Wangji, a perfect soul, loved someone like him.)

“Ridiculous!” Lan Wangji replied with a cold glare, the tips of his red turning red in anger and embarrassment.

Delighted chuckles fell from Wei Wuxian’s lips as his grin stretched wider, internally pleased he had chased away those blue feelings Lan Wangji was having. The initial glare directed at him that had dropped a few degrees was worth it.

“Don’t give me that look, Lan Zhan! I was just trying to cheer you up! You look so sad that’s why.”

Even though the glare remained, at least the intensity of it had tone down a bit and Wei Wuxian could see the stiffness in Lan Wangji’s shoulders relaxing slightly.

“Wei Ying,” Lan Wangji called him, and Wei Wuxian hummed in replied, indicating that he was listening. “Are you feeling better now?”

Grey orbs softened and a rare, genuine smile appeared on Wei Wuxian’s face, grateful for what Lan Wangji had done so far for him. The man didn’t need to and yet he still did it anyway because that was just how Lan Wangji was – always helping those in need.

Wei Wuxian moved back slightly, no longer as invasive of Lan Wangji’s personal space before, with just their arms pressing against each other. “Lan Zhan, thank you. I know you may be thinking I’m joking as usual, but I’m serious this time around. I’m thankful for everything you’ve done in my life. Thank you for being here with me.”

Wei Wuxian felt a movement coming from Lan Wangji, so he turned his head and saw Lan Wangji shaking his head slightly before gazing down at him with what looked like a small, warm smile. “I believe in Wei Ying.”

His breath hitched at those words and at that moment, Wei Wuxian wanted to confess his undying love to the beautiful and wonderful man leaning against him, but he held his tongue because it looked like Lan Wangji wanted to say more.

Therefore, he stayed quiet and listened.

Golden orbs looked like melted honey as Lan Wangji went on. “I’m thankful for Wei Ying too. For being my first friend when no one else did.”

His mind flashed back to the first year in university where he met Lan Wangji for the first time.

_It was the first day of university and Wei Wuxian was running late for his class. He was panting for breath as he ran down the almost empty hallway, minus for a few students who didn’t have class on their day. _

_Grey eyes lit up with relief at the sight of his lecture room’s sign in the distance and he picked up his pace when suddenly, in his rush, he accidentally collided with somebody – sending sheets of paper flying into the air. _

_Wei Wuxian stumbled backwards a few steps before stabilising himself, feeling slightly disoriented. As papers fluttered to the ground like snowflakes dancing in the air, his gaze landed on a figure who was sitting on the ground. _

_It took Wei Wuxian a few seconds before he realized the person on the ground was the one he collided with. Letting out a gasp, he shortened the distance between them and stretched out a hand, his brows furrowing in concern as he apologized. “Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry! I didn’t see you at all! Are you okay?! Here, let me help you up.”_

_The person lifted his head off the ground, revealing a pair of golden eyes that was narrowing at Wei Wuxian. It was at that moment, gold became his favourite colour. _

_“Running in the hallway is forbidden.” The guy coldly said as he ignored Wei Wuxian’s hand and got up from the ground by himself, smoothing down his slightly crumpled shirt. _

_Wei Wuxian stood there dumbly with his hand still outstretched as he stared at the person with wide eyes who disregarded his presence as he bent down to pick up the scattered papers. _

_For some unknown reasons, he was unable to tear his gaze away from the man before him. _

_Hair as black as the night sky framed the sides of his face until the chin in a neat and straight manner while at the back, it just barely brushed against the collar of his shirt. Wei Wuxian had to resist the urge to run his fingers through those dark locks. _

_With high cheekbones and well-defined jawlines, the man was the most handsome person Wei Wuxian had ever seen in his life. He held himself with an aura of grace and regal as though he was ethereal being gracing the mortal with his presence as he walked amongst them. _

_A beautiful jade statue glowing in the winter sun as snow gently fluttered around it. That was the impression he got from the other male. _

_Wei Wuxian only came back to himself when the man spoke again. “Why were you running in the hallway?”_

_He snapped out of it, shaking his head to get rid of the thoughts on the beautiful man before him. “Huh? Oh, I was going to be late for my class, so I ran.”_

_A sheepish smile appeared on his face as Wei Wuxian rubbed his neck, his cheeks pinked in slight embarrassment. The man stared at him with narrowed eyes, the corners of his lips turned down into a frown. “Do not do that again.”_

_With that, he walked past Wei Wuxian and entered the lecture room that Wei Wuxian had on his sight earlier on before he crashed into the man. His face lit up when he realized that both of them were attending the same class. _

_With a renewed vigour, Wei Wuxian asked the man to wait up for him as he chased after him. That was the day he found out the other male’s name was Lan Zhan and made it a mission to befriend him. _

A light chuckle left his lips when Wei Wuxian remembered those cold eyes glaring at him and it continued to be that away for months until he broke down those icy walls that many deemed it as impenetrable.

Yet, Wei Wuxian did the impossible and for the first time, he saw what melted honey looked like. Now, instead of cold stares, Lan Wangji gazed upon him with warm, golden orbs whenever their eyes met.

That same warmness washed over gently, causing his toes to curl in pleasure as grey met gold. If this was what it felt like every time he stared into eyes, then Wei Wuxian would happily drown in them for the rest of his life.

Secretly, he hoped that Lan Wangji felt the same way.

* * *

When Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji entered the living room, they were greeted with varying degrees of emotions coming from Wei Wuxian’s adopted family.

“What took you so long?! I thought you had died!” Jiang Cheng immediately stood up from where he was seated at the sofa at the sight of his brother. “At least, let us know that you’re fine instead of making us waste our time worrying about you!”

“It’s nice to see you too, Jiang Cheng.” Wei Wuxian laughed at the way how the younger male expressed his concern.

Jiang Cheng glowered at Wei Wuxian, opening his mouth to retort when he noticed Lan Wangji standing behind him with his usual cold, blank stare and decided against it. He just sat down in the same spot with crossed arms, his stare fixated angrily at the television in front of him and said nothing.

Letting out an amused huff, Wei Wuxian shook his head at his young brother’s behaviour before turning his attention to the rest of his family members. His lips tugged into a small smile when he saw Yu Ziyuan giving him her signature frown, yet one could see the concern for him clear as day in her eyes.

(Wei Wuxian couldn’t help thinking to himself that Jiang Cheng took after his mother in terms of personality. The fact that they were so familiar scared him at times.)

“Madam Yu.” Wei Wuxian greeted the woman with a polite nod, Lan Wangji doing the same with a quiet “Madam Jiang”.

Yu Ziyuan acknowledged Lan Wangji with a sharp nod of her own before turning to face Wei Wuxian with narrowed eyes. “You make sure you better properly thank Lan Wangji for bringing you back home from school.”

Grey eyes widened slightly upon hearing that and Wei Wuxian’s head whipped around to face Lan Wangji. “Lan Zhan, did you really do that?”

“Mn,” Lan Wangji nodded his head, confirming Yu Ziyuan’s words. “Wei Ying was not feeling well. So, I brought you his home to rest.”

Wei Wuxian’s face brightened with a giant smile as he threw his arms around the other male and gave him a tight hug, ignoring the vomiting sound coming from Jiang Cheng. “Thank you, Lan Zhan! I owe you one now!”

Lan Wangji was as stiff as a board in Wei Wuxian’s hold but slowly lifted a hand to pat him awkwardly on the back. “Mn. Anything for Wei Ying.”

That only caused Wei Wuxian’s heart to swell with adoration for the taller male as he tightened the embrace, inhaling the pleasant smell of sandalwood that he had come to associated with Lan Wangji.

There was light laughter coming from their right as Jiang Fengmian placed a hand on his adopted son’s shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze. “I’m glad to hear that you’re feeling better now, A-Xian. It’s all thanks to young master Lan here.”

“You’re correct, Uncle Jiang! Lan Zhan’s the best!” Wei Wuxian cheerfully hummed in agreement, smiling at the kind man who had provided him and cared for him ever since he was brought to the Jiang household from the orphanage where he spent the few years of his life there after both his parent passed away in a car accident.

“Shameless,” Lan Wangji muttered, the tips of his ears reddening like it always does whenever he was embarrassed.

Wei Wuxian simply laughed out loud, not caring if his family heard him or not.

“A-Xian, I’m guessing you haven’t eaten anything since breakfast so you must be feeling quite hungry. I prepared a pot of pork ribs and lotus soup.” Wei Wuxian perked up upon hearing his sister cooking his favourite soup. “Why don’t you invite your friend to have a bowl too?”

“You’re the best _Jiejie_!” Wei Wuxian released Lan Wangji to go over and hug Jiang Yanli before turning to Lan Wangji, his eyes wide and big as he practically begged for the man to stay for dinner. “Lan Zhan, you gotta try my Jiejie’s soup! It’s the best soup in the entire world! I stand by that promise!”

“Mn,” Lan Wangji nodded his head, the corners of lips quirking up slightly.

“Yay!”

Jiang Yanli giggled as she watched her younger brother took the other male by the hand and dragged him towards the kitchen, talking at a mile per hour while his friend listened with the occasional “mn” – golden orbs not once leaving the animated male.

She turned back to her family who was all staring at the duo with exasperated fondness (more like Yu Ziyuan and Jiang Cheng), happy that Wei Wuxian had found a good friend like Lan Wangji.

(Truthfully be told, it was more of a perfect partner rather than good friend, but they would just let fate do its thing although they didn’t have high hopes to begin with how dense that idiot could be towards the other’s feelings for him. Even blind man could see how in love Lan Wangji was with Wei Wuxian.)

* * *

It was closed to 9 o’clock when Wei Wuxian was seeing Lan Wangji off. He was leaning against the side of the house’s entrance with crossed arms as he glanced down at the black-haired man who was wearing his shoes with a small, fond smile.

His mind wandered to dinner and his eyes fluttered shut as he recalled how wonderful it had been. It was just him and Lan Wangji enjoying his sister’s soup as they, well more like just him, talked about anything and everything.

For a moment, he indulged in himself by thinking it was just another day of him and Lan Wangji having dinner in their kitchen at home after a long day at work.

“Wei Ying.”

Wei Wuxian opened his eyes when he heard Lan Wangji calling his name, gold orbs staring intensely at him. He moved away from the doorframe and took a hesitant step closer to Lan Wangji, feeling nervous all of a sudden.

“L-Lan Zhan,” Wei Wuxian mentally cursed himself for tripping over his words, telling himself to pull his act together. “I know I already say it a lot of times, but still thanks for everything you’ve done today. Sorry that you’ve to miss class today to take care of me. I hope your uncle doesn’t get mad at you for that.”

He winced, remembering how harsh Lan Qiren’s punishment could be. After all, Wei Wuxian had been at the short end of the stick many times before due to his mischievous attitude and love of playing pranks on others. 

Lan Wangji shook his head as he replied, “There is no need for thank you and sorry when it comes to Wei Ying.”

The words caught Wei Wuxian off guard and all he could do was stared at Lan Wangji, blinking up at him dumbly. “Huh?”

“I said, there is no need for thank you and sorry when it comes to Wei Ying.” Lan Wangji repeated his words and was it just Wei Wuxian imagination or had the distance between them?

Maybe it wasn’t just his imagination because he could feel Lan Wangji’s hot breath tickling against his skin. Swallowing around the lump that had formed in his throat due to the proximity, Wei Wuxian forced himself to say something, anything. “I-It’s way past your bedtime right? You should be heading home now, Lan Zhan. I’ll see you at school tomorrow?”

Just like that, the spell was broken as Lan Wangji took a step back and Wei Wuxian felt like he could breathe properly again. He lifted his head so he could look at the taller male in his eyes and once again, he questioned if it was just him or was that disappointment in those golden orbs.

However, it disappeared the moment it appeared, so Wei Wuxian chose not to read too much into it and pushed it to the back of his mind.

Awkwardness filled the silence between them as neither of them said anything, Wei Wuxian’s question still hanging in the air, unanswered. He began playing with the ends of his long hair as he nervously bit his lips, feeling extremely uncomfortable in this situation.

This was the first time that Wei Wuxian was unsure of what to do or say being with Lan Wangji. He never had such an issue before and that thought scared him.

Fortunately, before he could overthink too much about what was going on, Lan Wangji was the first one to break the silence.

“Wei Ying, thank you for dinner. I will take my leave then, see you at school tomorrow.” With that, the man bowed slightly before turning on his heels and walking off towards the direction of his home.

Wei Wuxian should have just left it at that and closed the door before he did something he might regret. Instead, he did the exact opposite of that.

“Lan Zhan! Wait!”

Wei Wuxian shouted the man’s name, not caring that it was at night and he would probably receive a scolding from either Jiang Cheng or Madam Yu for disturbing their neighbours.

Lan Wangji halted in his track and turned around, his eyes widening slightly in surprise at the sight of Wei Wuxian running after him with no shoes on his feet.

When Wei Wuxian came to a stop in front of him, bending over to catch his breath, he heard Lan Wangji reprimanding for going out of the house barefooted.

“Wei Ying, please wear your shoes next time. It is dangerous to walk on the streets barefoot. You may get injured.” Wei Wuxian didn’t have to look up to know that Lan Wangji was frowning in disapproval at his mistake.

Waving away his friend’s worry, his head shot up, nearly hitting Lan Wangji who managed to lean back just in time. Grey orbs searched his face before settling on those golden eyes he had come to love.

“Are you free after school tomorrow?” He asked.

Lan Wangji was taken aback by the sudden question, nonetheless, he still answered as calmly like the person that he was. “Yes, I am free.”

A large smile broke out on Wei Wuxian’s face in eagerness. “Great! Wait for me at the school entrance after your last class! I’ll bring to you that bunny café you love to thank you for today and I won’t take no for an answer!”

There was a flicker of amusement in those gold eyes and Wei Wuxian found himself captivated by the way how it lighted up Lan Wangji’s usual blank face.

“Mn, I will be waiting for Wei Ying then.” Lan Wangji answered much to the delight of Wei Wuxian. “Get some rest, I will see you tomorrow. Goodnight Wei Ying.”

Before he leaves, Lan Wangji raised a hand towards Wei Wuxian and gently tucked a stray piece of hair behind his ear – his fingers lingering a second longer than necessary.

The whole time Wei Wuxian was rooted to the pavement, unmoving as his brain tried to compute what just happened. Butterflies erupted in his stomach and the only thing he could hear was the loud thumping of his heart.

His mind was completely blanked, avoidance of thoughts as he continued staring at the space where Lan Wangji had stood just a few seconds ago.

It wasn’t until he heard Jiang Cheng shouting his name and demanding why the hell was he standing barefooted in the middle of the street then did he moved. Wei Wuxian ignored his younger brother and made his way up to his room.

Once he was inside, he shut his door and remained standing there before it finally dawned upon him what had just happened. His grin was stretched so wide that his face hurt but he was too giddy with happiness to give a second thought about it.

Throwing himself onto his bed, Wei Wuxian buried his face in his pillow and proceeded to scream his lungs out.

_Ahhh! I can’t believe Lan Zhan did that! Argh, my heart can’t take it! Who knew he can be so f*cking romantic?! _He let out another muffled squeal, kicking his legs up and down on his bed like a schoolgirl fangirling over her crush which described him perfectly right now.

When Wei Wuxian had run out of breath and had calmed down after his screaming fest, he turned to lay on his back and stared up at the ceiling with a dopey grin. He squeezed his pillow tightly to his chest, letting out a contented sigh.

He couldn’t help thinking that meeting Lan Wangji was the best thing to ever happened in his life and he thanked every deity out there for allowing him to meet such a wonderful guy like him.

Giving his heart to Lan Wangji was the best decision Wei Wuxian had ever made. He didn’t know how to put this feeling into words, but it just felt right to him.

The smile on his face only grew bigger at that thought.

That night, Wei Wuxian dreamt of a man in long, dark hair dressed in white robes with a smile as pure and beautiful as snow.

**Author's Note:**

> If any of you did fanart or write fanfic inspired by my story, do let me know so I can fangirl over it and show my appreciation! ^^
> 
> Thanks to Exiled Rebels Scanlations for the English translations of the Mo Dao Zu Shi novel that you see in my story.


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